Parking Lot Dings

An easy measure is to park farther away in the parking lots when possible. It doesn't take much time to walk the extra 100ft or so.

 

There are mobile, paintless dent remover services who can repair those for you at your location. I used such a fellow up here in Northern California with perfect results. He charged me around $140 for same-day, on- site service.

 

While that reduces the problem rate, it doesn't get rid of it. There are still too many idiots who will find a way to park close enough to cause dings, even when it appears to require extra effort.

 

Getting away from door dinging people will unfortunately never happen. I always park away. Every once in a while someone amuses themselves by parking next to me. When this happens, I just thoroughly check my car before I leave.

I also recommend the paint less dent repair method, as Rebound mentioned.

 

Park it like your driving the GTO! Bet there's no dings in that!
I try to take a one sided or end spot or park in the boonies and walk!
keep a hammer in your car just in case.

 

When Toyota proudly proclaims The Generation 3 Prius spent more time in the wind tunnel than any other vehicle, and has that "neat" low drag coefficent? That unfortunately also means that the same angles that allow wind to slip frictionlessly across it's sheet metal are going to open it up to slab side dings in a parking lot.

But what do you do? All vehicles are at risk of being dinged. All the suggestions thus far are good.

Unfortunately, I have found that parking far away or remotely in parking lots, frustratingly doesn't seem to work. It's almost like a magnet affect. I've found I will purposely choose to park away from the crowd, but inevitably when I return I find my choice to park remotedly has evidently inspired others, usually driving huge trucks...to do the same....all around me.

The one action I think can help? I always try to park as straight in the parking space as possible. And also in the middle of the parking space as much as possible. This hopefully gives the most room between yourself and the vehicle that decides to park next to you as possible.

What I hate to see, is when someone in a hurry parks off center, when there is plenty of room, but leaving little room for either themselve or myself to open our doors respectively without hitting each other.

But it's just life in the urban jungle.

Curious? Why do you say side moldings on the Gen 3 are useless?

 

My family hates me because I always park as far away as possible. I'll even drop them off at front of wherever and then catch up with them. However, as someone said you can't always do this. Restaurants is where I always have problems. Walmart, grocery stores, malls, church, etc... no problems, park out in the boonies.

 

Try to avoid parking with the front on any downward slope. Why? Because doors will swing open by themselves more.

I 'walked into' a tiny scratch on the 2009 Prius by parking in slanted spaces with front end downward. I also did not angle the car in the best way to avoid. Came out and tiny scratch from car door to the right. If I had dropped off the family, parked away and walked, would have avoided that one.

Every lot I go into, I scope out for the strategic place to park.

It's when you park in close with many more cars coming and going, childen jumping out of the back, you're looking for a door ding.

Yeah, those back doors with rounded or pointed edge will really getcha.

 

I know. It is an unsolvable problem, but here is another suggestion: Put shopping carts in the two lots next to your car.

(Just remember to put them back once you are done shopping)


Or you could weld saw blades onto your doors...

 

Bad Idea. Shopping Carts are the enemy. Do you really want to put something that can be blown by the wind, or easily start moving by gravity- purposely close to your vehicle?

Plus I'm not leaving something that some neanderthal can come by and push out of the way, to get the spot...leaving the shoping cart in my vincinity.

Sorry, but my advice would include keeping shopping carts as far away as possible.

 

Then there's always the little trouble maker that walks aimlessly through parking lots and 'keys' a car that has double parked miles away from everyone else.

 

The biggest ding in my previous car was from a shopping cart that was obviously joy riding around the parking lot, more than a block away from its home. I'm guessing it was carrying several hundred pounds of teenage rump roast when it struck and was abandoned next to my fender.

 

Then tip them over

And as for keying, an angry dog with rabies that is tied to your car should help with that problem

 

Two years in and not one door ding (knock wood). I always park far and choose spots that only one other person can park next to me. I don't care that passengers have to walk with me. It's good exercise anyways.

 

I park far away from people as well, and like others, when I come out of the store there are people parked all around me. There is a very noticeable ding on the drivers door that I must have received at some point. Sigh, just turned a year old.

 

31 months and no door dings here too, continuing my pattern of each new car going longer than the previous one (3, 9, and 24 months).

Unfortunately, last week the rear bumper collected impressions of a Ford's front bumper, parking lights, and license plate frame and bolts, thanks to a teenage driver with a gaggle of teenage passengers in the next car back. Fortunately, daddy has decent insurance. Mine should be cheap, but the other two cars will be expensive. I don't know if she was obeying the graduated license restrictions.

 

Never park beside a car with child seats.

 

If only I could avoid those pesky shopping carts, but alas, I work at a grocery store.

This thread is timely too, as my car goes in to the shop monday to repair paint damage along the entire right side, incurred (probably?) at work. One thousand bucks. Oh joy.